Kano computer kits raise US$28M in funding

The Series B funding for the DIY computer company allows it to roll out its kits in 4,500 retail stores across North America.

DIY computer company Kano is set to roll out its kid-friendly computer kits in more than 4,500 retail stores across North America, following a new US$28-million Series B funding round.

The kits will be available in every Best Buy, Target and select Walmart, Microsoft, Jet.com and The Source stores. It will also expand inventory with existing partners Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Indigo and Toys “R” Us.

The funding round was led by Thames Trust and Breyer Capital, with participation from Index Ventures, Stanford Engineering Venture Fund, LocalGlobe, Marc Benioff (CEO of Salesforce), John Makinson (CEO of Kano and former chairman of Penguin Random House), Collaborative Fund, Triple Point Capital and Barclays.

Kano’s kits launched in September 2014 and have since been used in more than 1,000 education programs in 86 countries. The products include device-building kits with creative coding and a free online community. The price range costs between US$29.99 for the Motion Sensor Kits to US$249.99 for the Computer Kit Complete, which is a build-your-own laptop.